Does anybody epoxy bed ML barrels?

[Doug Lykins]

I've built several centerfire rifle stocks from shaped blanks. A common practice is to epoxy bed the front of the receiver / lug area and first inch or so of the barrel, free floating the rest, also pillar bed the front & rear action screws. This is done NOT to hide sloppy inletting but to enhance accuracy. If done correctly the epoxy material is invisable when the gun is assembled.
Has anybody done tried this on a ML? If so what portion of the barrel did you bed?
I know this practice would not be considered PC or HC but no one would see it unless you removed the barrel.
Thanks in advance, Doug

 

[LRB]

I generally bed the breech area. The tang, and maybe 3" or so forward.

 

[Birddog6]

I generally bed the breech area, tang & 3-4" forward of the breech & about the last 2-3" of the muzzle. But I have bedded the entire barrels on several of them. Seals up the wood go so no moisture can get in from that area. Accuracy ? Can't tell ya cause they all shoot better then I can hold them anyway.

:thumbsup:

 

[tg]

I do pretty much as above, I have bought a couple of kits that werre put togther with a heavy hand and a lot of slop in the barrel inletting and I glassbedded the whole thing to keep the fir needles out then worked it down, and it did not show very much, I got an in the white gun from a well known builder once and when I took the barrel off a chunk abut 1/4"by 3/4" fell out where the breech had been filled, and two of the barrel pins had been driven in and pulled back/snipped and driven back,( the holes did not line up) that was kind of a mess but putty and prayer fixed it up pretty good.

 

[Walks with fire]

I use the Accu-glas gel and bed the tang,breech and full barrel other than a inch or so on either side of the wedge key. Seals the wood in the stock, adds a more solid feel to the rifles balance, and eliminates any barrel slop. I wouldn't have it any other way.

With hooked breech models like TC's I glue the breech and barrel together and bed all at one shot. Perfect fit every time. The metal on the breech areas don't stay glued together very well so it's easy to seperate later.

 

[cmdrted]

what do you glue the parts together with?

 

[Goldhunter]

super glue works. To break the bond, just touch with a little heat.

 

[bioprof]

The conventional wisdom in muzzleloading building is that the barrel supports the stock, not vice versa, so bedding the barrel isn't going to help accuracy unless you have a really sloppy fit. On a lot of the originals, the barrel channel is just hogged out round, even for an octagon barrel and they shot just fine.

Many of us are in this to experience the tools of the trade from the past, so would rather not use twentieth century building methods. If bedding your barrel gives you more confidence and doesn't bother you, then go for it.

 

[Doug Lykins]

We epoxy bed centerfire rifles for accuracy, as well as strength. The difference in accuracy is usually apparent when using a high magnification scope over bags. I wouldn't have thought it would make a significant difference in the accuracy on an open sighted MLer.
Strength, I would think would be the benefit on a MLer for the very reason you've stated. "The barrel supports the stock". Epoxy bedding would add strength to that union. These skinny forends on full length stocks look a little vulnerable to me. :hmm:

 

[Walks with fire]

The last one I did I used contact cement; but super glue works good as well. Fill the cracks and places you don't want the gel to get into with plumbers putty and build a putty dam around the wedge key area. Tape the edges of the stock/barrel off with painters tape after the coating with release agent, clean up the extra that squeezes out and remove the tape. Vineger works well to clean the gel with.

 

[Tinker2]

When / if I have a muzzle loader glass bedded, it would be the whole barrel channel. Use Acraglas, not the gel, it makes a outstanding wood sealer. If all of it is done right most people here could not be able to tell by looking inside the barrel channel whether it had been glassed or not.

On most of my using guns I would have them glassed.



Tinker2

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Good Mornining myss,

Back in the mid 1950's, my ML mentor, the late "Judge" H.E. Resley always said that a one piece tang breech would produce better accuracy than the Hawken style hook breech and tang style. This has proven to be true over and over in the years since.

For this reason, I epoxy glue my Hawken hook breech and tang together.

Epoxy bedding the barrel and breech properly will definately improve accuracy. With a good set of sights and shooting at 50 yards, the improvement can be measured.

The downward force of the hammer striking the nipple (or even a flintlock) will cause a loosely inletted barrel to rotate and move in the stock.

For this reason, I epoxy bed the the back of the breech, the sides of the breech and one inch of the barrel in front of the breech snuggly in the stock.

From that point forward, only the bottom flat and corresponding 45 degree angle flats are bedded solidly in the forarm. the side flats are tapped with one thickness of clear tape. In my experience, a barrel tightly bedded for its full length (or a half stock) is very problematic in the accuracy department.

When the epoxy sets, the barrel is removed, the clear tape is peeled away. The small amount of clearance allows the stock to "breathe" in varying atmospheric or climatic change.

In addition, the barrel harmonics are more uniform from shot to shot.

As previously posted, the epoxy also provides for a great sealing of the barrel channel. I have used both Browbell,s Accru-glas Accru-gel from their inception, and find the Accru-gel somewhat easier to use.

Best regards and good shooting,

John L. Hinnant

If you are not an NRA or NMLRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.

Liberal/socialist politicans LIE!!! USA FREEDOMS DIE!!!!

 

[tg]

". These skinny forends on full length stocks look a little vulnerable to me."

They are no problem as far aas breaking....untill one takes the gun apart and gets heavy handed, if done properly they pretty much fall out into your hand.this might be something to support the case for not bedding them full length, leaving a bit of slack for swelling and fitting back in place might be a good idea.

Good post John, some good points were made, for future barrel glassers.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I've got a few long rifles with barrels well over 40" long and the bare minimum of wood out front. All are 35+ years old and well used and have no cracks or chips on them. I don't give them any special consideration compared to my other guns, but I don't abuse them either. As tg said, you shouldn't get heavy handed with them, but that holds true for all guns.